Israel: The Power of Remembrance

This year, as every year, there are those who question the decision made upon Israel’s inception to celebrate Independence Day on the heels of Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism. Must sorrow and joy clash this way in Israeli reality? And can true joy even be felt in the wake of such profound pain?

The proponents of separating the two argue that bereaved families struggle to reconcile this sharp segue. The somber sound of the sirens honoring the fallen has yet to fade when city streets are decorated for Independence Day, they say, and we should all find it in our hearts to be more sensitive to the bereaved families’ pain.

I do not share this view, but I also disagree with the shallow explanations of those who argue that Memorial Day and Independence Day are inextricably linked, such as the historical circumstances that led Israel’s leaders to bind the two together and the fact that no government has ever truly explored their separation, or that independence and its cost must be explored together.

I see this issue from a broader perspective. There is no real need to separate the sorrow from the joy. Memorial Day and Independence Day should be seen as one, a fabric weaving together the national experience that begins with the former and ends with the latter.

The question is not whether these two days should be marked together or apart, but rather what the proper way to mark Memorial Day and celebrate Independence Day is.

Memorial Day is not the bereaved families’ alone to mark—it belongs to each and every member of the Israeli public. I believe that on this day, every Israeli should feel a fraction of what bereaved families feel year-round. The saying that bereaved families see every day as Memorial Day is true—my son Yehonatan is on my mind day and night, including in my dreams.

The solemn air created by the sad songs played on the radio, by visits of friends and military officials, and by recounting heroic myths, is what bereaved families experience year-round. The grief is relentless, and it will not waver over the technical separation of these days. Memorial Day allows the rest of the public a glimpse into this loss, as it amplifies grief into one felt by society as a whole.

To the same extent, I believe Independence Day reflects national solidarity, one that unites us under the heroic tales of those fiercely fighting for their country, and the legacy left to us by those whose graves we visited just the day before. It unites us through the fighting spirit and courage of our soldiers—the spirit that has resurrected the Jewish people in the State of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital; through the scores of achievements we have marked in all areas, and the legacy left to us by generations of past leaders, affording us a direct link to our country.

Independence Day draws its strength from Memorial Day and vice versa, and when Independence Day comprises truly profound content, we can better understand the sacrifice we have made since Israel’s inception. {eoa}

David Einhorn lost his son, Yehonatan Yaakov, in the 2006 Second Lebanon War. For the original article, visit israelhayom.com.